Betrayed, persecuted, grieving, uncertain, confused, abused, afraid, and struggling.
Can you identify with any of these words? Most of us can, especially these days.
Life is a struggle, and joy is elusive. Most days we feel the angst of living in a difficult world, with difficult people, under difficult circumstances. Throw a pandemic, societal unrest, and economic hardship in the mix, and you’ve got a formula for a major panic attack.
I think this is why God includes stories about real people in the Bible. Reading other people’s stories, the good, the bad, and the ugly, gives us perspective and, most important, hope.
King David was a man who experienced just about everything life can throw at someone. His memoir includes a humble beginning and an exalted ending. He came to faith early, and God used him in mighty ways to lead the nation of Israel. He also disappointed God greatly and lived much of his life with the consequences of his sin.
The book of Psalms records many of his soul-searching, gut-wrenching conversations with God. Psalm 71 is one of them. Listen to David’s cry:
“O Lord, I have come to you for protection; don’t let me be disgraced. Save me and rescue me, for you do what is right. . . . in my old age, don’t set me aside. Don’t abandon me when my strength is failing. For my enemies are whispering against me. They are plotting together to kill me. They say, ‘God has abandoned him. Let’s go and get him, for no one will help him now’” (Psalm 71: 1,2, 9-11 NLT).
His example reminds us that it’s OK to pour out our hearts to God when we are distressed.
But Psalm 71 isn’t just a lament and cry for help. It’s a prescription for how to weather difficult circumstances.
Listen to David’s 4-step plan as outlined in verses 13-17:
1. Don’t lose hope.
David expresses his commitment to trust God: “But I will keep on hoping for your help.” No matter what happens, we must never stop believing that God hears and answers our prayers.
2. Don’t stop praising God.
“I will praise you more and more,” he says. “I will tell everyone about your righteousness. All day long I will proclaim your saving power.” Praising God reminds ourselves and others that God is good, even when our circumstances are not.
3. Don’t forget what God has done.
“I will praise your mighty deeds, O Sovereign Lord.” Reflect on the many ways he has worked in the lives of faithful men, and remember how he has worked in your own life. God’s long history of faithful care for his children strengthens our faith, because we know God is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
4. Don’t stop sharing your faith with others.
“I will tell everyone that you alone are just.” Sometimes when difficult circumstances enter our lives, we’re tempted to slander God with our words or our lack of faith. We must resist, choosing instead to take a faith stand and continue to testify of God’s goodness, no matter what.
If you’re betrayed, persecuted, grieving, uncertain, confused, abused, or struggling, King David’s four-step plan for weathering difficult circumstances is powerful and effective.
My prayer for you is that you will soon be able to testify, as David did, “You who have done great things; O God, who is like You? You, who have shown me great and severe troubles, shall revive me again, and bring me up again from the depths of the earth. You shall increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side” (v 19-21).
What about you? When you struggle, which examples from Scripture give you hope? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts.
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Does Your Faith Need Refreshing?
That’s in the Bible? I’ve never noticed that before!
It’s probably been too long since you’ve newly discovered a story that speaks to your soul or a verse that pops with truth. But that’s about to change!
Refresh Your Faith, Uncommon Devotions from Every Book of the Bible is here!
When the fabulous has become familiar and your quiet times are more like nap times, it’s time to step out of spiritual boredom and ignite the spark that will keep you growing. No matter where you are on your faith journey, Lori’s conversational and engaging style will challenge you to think about things you’ve never thought about before.
“Real-life inspiration and candid wit. These 5-minute devotions will change your life.” —Psychologist and best-selling author Dr. Kevin Leman, commenting on Lori Hatcher’s devotional style
I needed this, Lori! All the things in our society piled on top of things in my personal life have left me joy-less. Thank you for the encouragement!
You aren’t kidding, Sherry. Our world is a joy-stealing machine if we don’t fix our eyes on Jesus and the truths of Scripture. And so we press on. God’s blessings to you, friend!
The account of Paul singing in prison is astounding but offers hope. He focused on God above circumstances. Singing hymns and reading in Psalms restore my joy when I allow stress or anxiety to cloud it. Thank you, Lori for the outline.
I love your joy-restoring prescription, Jeannie. It sounds a lot like the apostle Paul’s approach –thankfully without the prison element. Keep singing, my friend. You’re an encouragement to many.
My favourite Scripture is:
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”–Matthew 11:28-30
Jesus promises to all who come to Him that He will give them rest from the heavy burden of trying to earn our way into heaven and rest from the oppressive yoke of self-righteousness and legalism. Jesus encourages those who are “heavy laden” to take His yoke upon them, and in so doing they will find rest for their souls. The yoke of Jesus is light and easy to carry because it is the yoke of repentance and faith followed by a singular commitment to follow Him. As the apostle John says, “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3).
This is what Jesus says in Matthew 11:30. His yoke is easy and His burden light. Now, we might think that there is really no difference between the commandments of Jesus and the Jewish Law. Isn’t the same God responsible for both? Technically speaking, yes. If anything, one might argue that the commands of Jesus are even more burdensome because His reformulation of the Mosaic Law in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5—7) actually goes above and beyond a mere outward conformity to the Law and deals instead with the inner person.
What makes Jesus’ yoke easy and His burden light is that in Jesus’ own ACTIVE OBEDIENCE (i.e., HIS PERFECT FULFILLMENT OF THE LAW OF GOD), He carried the burden that we were meant to carry. His perfect obedience is applied (imputed) to us through faith, just as His righteousness was exchanged for our sin at the cross (2 Corinthians 5:21). Our obedience to Jesus then becomes our “spiritual worship” (Romans 12:1). Furthermore, WE ARE INDWELT BY THE HOLY SPIRIT WHO WORKS IN OUR LIVES TO MOLD US INTO THE IMAGE OF CHRIST, THEREBY MAKING THE YOKE OF JESUS EASY AND HIS BURDEN LIGHT. The life lived by faith is a much lighter yoke and a much easier burden to carry than the heavy and burdensome yoke of self-righteousness under which some continually strive to make themselves acceptable to God through works.
#gotquestionsorg
You have shared an absolutely beautiful explanation of our greatest source of joy — God’s finished work on the cross on our behalf. Thank you so much for sharing today, friend. God’s blessings on you!
When life is hard, it is a reminder that this world is not our final destination. As difficult as circumstances may be, Paul called them “light and momentary troubles” (2 Corinthians 4:17). Paul and many of the first-century Christians knew how hard life was in ways that most of us never will (2 Corinthians 11:23–29). Some of their struggles are showcased in Hebrews 11, a chapter that reminds us that, as hard as our lives are, many have it worse.
As we grow through troubles, we develop the character of Christ—who also struggled much during His time on earth (Isaiah 53:3). His example of selflessness, endurance, and trust in God is an example to us: “Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart” (Hebrews 12:3).
Helen,
Your comment set off bells in my mind this morning. I was preparing to write the next devotion in my latest book, Refresh Your Hope, Unshakeable Reasons not to Lose Heart, and was meditating on 2 Corinthians 4. Then your comment, citing the same Scriptures, popped up. Is the Lord speaking to you? Yes, and to me through you. Thank you for providing solid truth and the confirmation I needed to write this morning.
Ms. Lori, I’m not sure why yet, but 1 Corinthians 13:13 kept ringing out in my soul as I was reading your post. My initial thought is that, “Where faith, hope, and love abound, we find joy.” God didn’t inspire Paul to write it that way, but is sure is what I’m feeling after reading your post today ma’am. Thank you so much for your inspiring words ma’am. God’s blessings.
J.D. you are absolutely right — without faith, hope, and love, there is no joy. The faith Christ enables, the hope He inspires, and the love he surrounds us with is a sure and certain path to forever joy. THanks for sharing this with us today, friend.
The Lord is with us always. In times of trouble, I am thankful we can go to Him. I wake in the morning with joy in my heart because of His love.
Amen, Melissa. As the psalmist proclaimed, “In Your presence is fullness of JOY!” Sending a hug your way today, friend!